This quarter's Indie Ignites releases

Welcome to the third installment of 2014's Indie Ignites quarterly releases! Things have slowed down on the publication front which means... a whole lot of us are writing our tails off!!! Yay! Check out our upcoming releases, below.

July

Endre (Sweet NA) -- July 16th

(The Elsker Saga, #2)

Blurb: Sometimes, finding your destiny means doing the exact opposite of what The Fates have planned.

Winning the heart of an immortal assassin was a dream come true for Kristia Tostenson. Now she’s knee deep in wedding plans, goddess lessons, and stolen kisses. But her decision to become immortal could end in heartbreak -- not only for Kristia, but for the god who loves her. Because while Ull would do anything to protect his bride, even the God of Winter is powerless against the Norse apocalypse. Ragnarok is coming. And the gods aren’t even close to ready.

Add to Goodreads

The Horde Without End (NA) -- July 24th

(The World Without End, #2)

Blurb: It was supposed to be over…

Returning from Haven 18 was supposed to be the end. But nothing is ever easy—and in a world full of zombies, finding the missing is next to impossible. There are breadcrumbs. Tiny clues. But what are a few tiny clues in a world of the dead?

Nurrin is desperate to find her brother, but that will mean trusting Finn O’Malley. A man shrouded in secrets, who kills as easily as breathing. And the more she learns about him, the more questions she has. But she has learned one thing—the zombies are changing. Adapting. And this time, the Haven walls won’t keep them out.

Add to Goodreads

August

A Sliver of Hope (YA) -- August 5th

(Angel Sight, #2)

Blurb: After the events in A SHIMMER OF ANGELS, Rayna struggles to piece her life back together, but hiding in plain sight from the police, the SS Crazy, and the Fallen isn't a foolproof plan. Something Kade, the World's Worst Roommate, reminds her of everyday.

The late nights of trying—and failing—to teach Ray how to protect herself against the Fallen are getting to Kade, changing him in ways he doesn't like, and after a family emergency sends Ray back into Cam’s arms, Kade decides he's had enough.

The news of Rayna's resurfacing brings angels and Fallen to San Francisco by the dozens, all eyes scouring the city for the girl with the gray wings. Rayna will need both Kade and Cam's help to ensure her family's safety, navigate the new dangers—and enemies—springing up all over the city, and managing the surprises that arise with her new set of wings.

Add to Goodreads

Enter Goodreads giveaway


September

Tro (sweet NA) -- September 4th

by S.T. Bende

(The Elsker Saga, #3)

Blurb: Finding her destiny nearly cost her everything. Kristia knows she can handle whatever The Fates throw at her next--including her long-awaited honeymoon with the God of Winter. But as things heat up between Kristia and Ull, a frost settles over Asgard. An unexpected death marks the beginning of the end, much earlier than anyone expected. Kristia’s barely begun to understand what she’s capable of, and controlling her powers seems completely out of her grasp. With her new family fighting for their lives, and Ull fighting for their future, Kristia has to make a devastating choice: preserve the life she loves, or protect the god she can’t live without?

Add to Goodreads

Open Thy Heart (YA) -- September 15th

(Flora, #2)

Blurb: The secrets just keep coming.

It’s summer in Shaver and, frankly, Dahlia Kennedy is bored. Even though she and Eva are throwing a party for David and she gets to visit Rowan in Ambrosia easier on account of summer hours, it seems like senior year is never going to come. Worse yet, it’s looking like the one thing she’s planned on doing for forever isn’t going to happen.

Cue Dahlia’s Embarrassing Incident: the tipping point that seems to shift everything into a new direction. David’s acting weird. Something happens to Rowan. Dahlia’s forced to ask the least likely person ever for help. A secret is blown wide open.

Conflict between the Lennox Rochforts and the Townsends grows more and more out of control until so much is going on in Ambrosia, Dahlia can barely keep up with life at home. Frustrated with trying to keep track of who knows what, Dahlia continues fighting to help the people she loves, and slowly, the truth is exposed.

Crazy thing is, she had no idea about any of it. And it changes everything she’s ever known.

Add to Goodreads

Enter the cover reveal giveaway

Facebook Takeovers: A Techno-Dolt Talks

Hei hei, y'all! ST, here. A few weeks ago I got to take over Verna Loves Books' Facebook page with fellow Igniteer Laura Howard. I'm an admitted techno-dolt, who still uses a flip phone (#Truth) so this was a massive jump for me. It was all kinds of terrifying, but also all kinds of fun. And you know what? I ended up meeting some of the nicest, most supportive fellow book lovers! I'm so glad I stepped waaaaay outside my comfort zone. It was totally worth it.

I openly admit to having no prior experience in takeovers, and in general no idea what I'm doing on the interwebs, but here are a few FB takeover tips that worked for Laura and me:

(1) PLAN. Things fly fast and furious come takeover time, so the more pre-packaged posts you can plan out, the easier your time will be. We pre-wrote a slew of posts, about five for each hour of our takeover time, and ended up using nearly all of them. It freed up the rest of our time to interact with readers on the various comment threads. Who wants to be planning their next post when they could be socializing instead? Not moi. :)

(2) GIVE THINGS AWAY. Laura and I corralled a slew of our writer friends and asked if they'd be willing to donate an e-book. It gave readers a reason to comment on the posts (because commenting was a requisite to enter the giveaways), and it gave us something fun to talk about. Readers love getting books. And writers are generally happy to donate an e-book in exchange for some exposure. It's a win-win.

(3) PLUG YOUR FRIENDS. Those authors who donated books during our takeover? You better believe plugged the dickens out of their books and looped them into their threads, so they could interact too. Laura and I are lovely and all, but I seriously doubt a lot of people would want to talk to just the two of us for three hours. However, people did want to talk to the seven additional authors we brought along with us. Because the more authors, the merrier!!

(4) HAVE FUN. So often we're locked away in our writing/editing caves, all by ourselves. It was a blast to get to go onto a page and actually chat with readers! Laura and I both write NA Paranormal Romance, and we probably wouldn't have met most of Verna's more contemporary oriented readers in our normal FB circles. We made new friends, got to talk book boyfriends (because no FB takeover is complete without talking book boyfriends), and spent a few hours hanging out together on a Saturday afternoon. What's not to love about that?

What about you? What kinds of things have YOU done to connect with readers?

When You Just Need Some Fun...

Sometimes a writer just needs to have a little fun. Am I right, y'all?

You know those fabulous memes you always see promoting upcoming releases, with an image representative of the book's genre, a super cool quote, and some impressive photoshopping that adds elements of whimsy or darkness or whatever emotion the artist wants you to feel?

Yeah. I could never make those. I'm a total technophobe. I still own a flip phone. #TrueStory

But a few weeks back, the Igniteers introduced me to a little website called Picmonkey. You upload your image, and a minimal number of super easy steps, you and manipulate it to add words, bleed out color, or even add little quote bubbles or banners. It's so easy even a technophobe could work it.

And I did. :)

Now when I need a break from drafting/editing/plotting/writerly things, I head to Picmonkey and have a little fun. The Igniteers tell me there are more sites like it that are equally easy to use, but I'm a creature of habit and I sort of figured this one out. So here I stay.

Here are a few of the fun promo images the girls and I have made for ourselves -- some on Picmonkey, some in more advanced editing programs. You'll be able to tell which of us are graphic whizzes (Adrianne) and which of us are NOT (me).

(my homemade image, for Elsker - look y'all, I figured out the computer!!)

(From Nicole Zoltack's White Helleborne)

What do you think? Link us to some of YOUR fun promo images in the comments!

This Quarter's Indie Ignites Releases and #giveaways

Welcome to our second installment of Indie Ignites' quarterly releases! We're pretty excited to share the array of books out in April, May and June. Check 'em out!

April

Prom and Prejudice (YA)

(Snark and Circumstance, #4)

Blurb:

Georgia Barrett is beginning to realize that her arch-preppie lab partner, Michael Endicott, is not at all the snob-hole she once thought. Too bad Georgia doesn’t see him for who he really is until he starts dating a poised and polished senior.

Georgia knows she should settle for his friendship, especially since telling him how she really feels would mean risking losing him altogether. But her heart tells her a chance at love might just be worth dropping her trusty shield of snark. And Georgia’s determined to find out.

Add to Goodreads
Purchase on Amazon

 The Billionaire and the Barfly (NA)

Blurb:

Henry Maximus is a super-hero-loving geek and proud of it. He’s also a genius when it comes to business. It’s how he earned the title of CEO of Maximus Gaming … not to mention the billions of dollars in his bank account. Henry’s tried living the life of a bachelor, but a different girl every night has left him wanting more. Needing more.

Aubrey Vincent is in love with her job. She’ll love it even more if she lands the promotion that gets her out of her parent’s attic. She loves it so much that she has no time for relationships, not that she was ever very good at them to begin with. Aubrey is perfectly happy with the random, nameless men she picks up at the bar.After a brief encounter with Aubrey on a business trip, Henry packs his bags and moves back to the small town where he grew up. Aubrey’s town. Aubrey attempts to find her way into Henry’s bed, while he tries everything to get into her heart. Will Henry’s plan to break down the walls Aubrey has built around her heart work or will his unbelievable million dollar offer scare her away?

Add to Goodreads
Purchase on Amazon

April 21st: 

White Hellebore 

(Heroes of Falledge Trilogy, #2)

After destroying Skull Krusher, Nicholas Adams thinks Falledge is safe and becomes a security guard at the museum, watching a valuable statue. Unfortunately, the Egyptian statue houses the soul of a scorned witch, biding her time to have her revenge on the descendants of her cheating lover.

Kiya the witch isn't the only new foe in town as the drug that created Skull Krusher has now transformed a scientist into yet another monster, forcing Nicholas to don his Black Hellebore mask again and save Falledge.

Nicholas has no help this time as Kiya gains possession of his love Julianna's body and brings the soul of Justina, Nicholas's high school sweetheart and Julianna's twin, with her. Despite himself, Nicholas is torn between the sisters. If he can't stop the fiends from taking over the world and destroying humankind, he'd never be able to find lasting, true love.

Add to Goodreads

April 25th:

Stone of Destiny (NA)

(The Danaan Trilogy, #2)

Blurb:

Allison thought it was crazy enough when she found out her father, Liam, wasn't entirely human. But now she has to join his magical allies to unravel his former mistress's plans. Aoife wants to keep Allison's parents apart forever.

Despite Allison's efforts to keep Ethan, the only guy she's ever cared about, out of this supernatural mess, fate keeps throwing him back into the mix.

Will Allison be able to find the amulet that holds the enchantment Aoife placed on Liam and destroy it? Are Ethan' s feelings for Allison strong enough to endure the magic of the Tuatha De Danaan?

Add to Goodreads


May


May 1st:

Girl Lost (NA)

Blurb:

Northern was supposed to be a fresh start—a place where people didn’t know who I was or how I had spent years in and out of mental institutes. People didn't know about my parents death or the island no one heard of. But when Peter sits next to me in lit class, I can’t stop the memories, and I don’t want to. He looks too much like the boy from the island, and despite my best intentions, coaxes my secrets from me.

He’s gorgeous, irresistible, a little mad, and completely lost—we are a pair of broken cogs in a world neither of us truly fits into. He is somehow gentle and fierce, heartbreaking in his devotion and savage in his defense.

When Belle, his best friend, shows up, pale and lovely and sick, Peter pulls away from me, a startling withdrawal. It’s a relationship that scares and confuses me. She is at times warm and friendly, and other times is violent and unpredictable.

Peter says that he wants me, but refuses to let himself get close. And there are secrets, surrounding both of us, that border on nightmares. As the memories close in, as Belle gets sicker and more violent, I’m torn between what is true and what I believe, and what this magical boy knows about my mysterious past.

Add to Goodreads
Check out a teaser, HERE



May 8th:

Rev (Adult)

(Bayonet Scars, #3)

Blurb: 

We met him in Ride as the no-nonsense Sergeant-at-Arms of the Forsaken Motorcycle Club who disapproved of Ryan's choice to be with Alex, and again in Thrash as a man who few dare to challenge. Now, get to know Grady in his own words as he struggles to keep his club and his personal life from falling apart before his very eyes.

Everyone belongs somewhere. Even the misfits.

With the looming threat from the Mancuso Crime Family, the Forsaken Motorcycle Club is preparing for a war that could destroy them. Grady, the club’s Sergeant-at-Arms, knows that love makes you weak, and he has zero interest in adding to his liabilities-- especially now. He's already got his teenage daughter who keeps him on his toes and a beef within the club that could fracture his relationship with a fellow brother for good.

For Holly Mercer, her life is finally getting on track and the last thing she wants is trouble from her hometown’s resident outlaws. Keeping her nose clean is easier said than done, when suddenly she finds herself embroiled in club business. Holly might like the idea of being with a real-life bad boy, but even being in the same room with tough-as-nails Grady flusters her.

Add to Goodreads

Tur (NA)

(The Elsker Saga, #.5)

Blurb:

Inga Andersson is the envy of every girl in Asgard. On the surface she has it all -- great friends, a job as Odin’s personal fight choreographer, and a happy ever after with her realm’s hottest assassin. But when evil invades Asgard, her perfect world comes crashing down. Someone is planning to kill off the gods, and Inga’s best friend Ull is first on their list. With the Norse apocalypse a nanosecond away, Inga has to decide how she’ll spend her final moments of freedom. Because from the moment this battle begins, Inga’s happily ever after will be nothing more than a memory. 

Some things are worth fighting for.

add to Goodreads

May 29th:

Elsker (NA)

(The Elsker Saga, #1)

Blurb:

You don’t win the heart of an immortal assassin without making a few enemies along the way.

Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs, but when she transfers from her one-stoplight town to Cardiff University in Wales she falls in love with Ull Myhr.  Her new boyfriend isn’t exactly what she was expecting.  He’s an honest to goodness Norse God - an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth.  Kristia’s crazy visions are the only thing that can save their realms.  Her orderly life just got very messy. 

Add to Goodreads
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway, HERE


June

By Sun and Candlelight (YA)

(Flora, #1.5)

Blurb:

Back in Ambrosia, Rowan and the Queen continue their efforts to thwart Oleander and Hawthorne’s attempts to take over the throne. Rowan sneaks meetings with Dahlia, his only light in a world of heartbreaking darkness and loss, with intent to inquire whether she plans to leave Shaver and make Ambrosia her permanent home. But when Hawthorne threatens upcoming contention and Rowan discovers the book of Jurisprudence (the Ambrosian book of the law), has gone missing, it’s evident there’s a traitor at Lennox. The more Rowan tries to keep Oleander’s men, the Townsends, under control and solve the mystery of the missing book, the more secrets he comes across. Until he wonders: Has his own personal need for Dahlia inhibited his ability to protect her? And what right does he have to ask her to choose anything other than what she feels true in her heart?

Told in Rowan’s point of view, By Sun and Candlelight (Flora, 1.5) gives you a new view into the characters and daily happenings at Castle Lennox and bridges the gap between If I Speak True (Flora, 1) and Open Thy Heart (Flora 2 -- coming this fall)

Add to Goodreads
Enter the giveaway

Crush (NA)

(Bayonet Scars, #3.5)

by JC Emery (cover/details to come)

And that's it for now! 

Happy book birthday to ST Bende and Adrianne James!

We're so excited over here at Indie Ignites because we've had TWO #NA book birthdays this week !!!!
Book birthday number one was ST Bende's second installment in The Elsker Saga, Endre! Here's the blurb from Amazon: 
Sometimes, finding your destiny means doing the exact opposite of what The Fates have planned.

Winning the heart of an immortal assassin was a dream come true for Kristia Tostenson. Now she’s knee deep in wedding plans, goddess lessons, and stolen kisses with her fiance. But her decision to become immortal could end in heartbreak — not only for Kristia, but for the god who loves her. While Ull would do anything to protect his bride, even the God of Winter is powerless against the Norse apocalypse. Ragnarok is coming. And the gods aren’t even close to ready. Ack! If you're looking for a fun getaway this weekend with the likes of Thor (technically his stepson, Ull), check out Elsker and Endre!
Buy Endre on Amazon (link) Add Endre to Goodreads (link) Start at the beginning with Elsker (link) Visit ST's blog and enter to win an Amazon gift card, Endre ebook and swag (link)


Our second book birthday goes to Adrianne James -- The Tempering's birthday is today! Woo hoo!
Blurb from Amazon:
The Mythology department at prestigious Harvard University is tiny—and Mackenzie Duncan has just been selected as one of the lucky few. Her love for myths and legends is strong, but she never thought any of it could be real.

After being attacked by a large wolf while walking home alone, Mackenzie realizes something is not right. She heals quickly, is suddenly super strong, and is experiencing mood swings that can't possibly be normal. The myths she's studying aren't myths at all. Werewolves are real and she's one of them. Fear of what she is, and who she might hurt sends Mackenzie running from the life she’s worked hard to build–and straight into the arms of a handsome Were named Geoff and into the home of his pack. Living with her new pack takes the edge off her confusion and self-loathing, but the arrival of new pack members changes the dynamic, and tests Geoff and Mackenzie’s growing relationship.

The hardest part of being a werewolf is having no control and no memory of her time as a blood thirsty beast. When a moon cycle passes and she actually remembers bits and pieces of the night, she starts to ask questions, and the more questions she asks, the more she realizes she doesn't like the answers. Can she set aside her own sense of morals to belong to a pack that is like a family or will she leave everything behind yet again in search of a life she can be proud of?
If you're looking for a romantic read featuring paranormal mythology (or simply a new Were book) this weekend, check out The Tempering!
Buy The Tempering on Amazon (link) Add The Tempering to Goodreads and enter to win a copy (link)
Congrats guys, from your fellow Indie Ignites ladies!!! <3

Light 'em up... Igniting this summer's writing inspiration

Hi Igniteers! It’s ST and Jessica here. We wanted to share some of the songs we’re writing to this summer, and ask you to share yours right back with us. Here are a few we're loving (along with the links to listen). Let's ignite that writing inspiration!

ST:

Cruise by Florida Georgia Line (link)

Play it when you’re writing: The chill scenes

This song just makes me feel good. Between the southern twang and the relaxed summer vibe, it totally puts me in a kick-back place. I mean, really -- “Baby you a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise.” If that’s not a great song to write your chill scenes to, I don’t know what is.

Jessica:

Safe and Sound by Capital Cities (link)

Play it when you’re writing: The upbeat, memorable scenes

The moment this song starts, I’m moving in my chair. It’s the perfect soundtrack to a scene where something’s just been resolved and things are going great. “I could lift you up... Even if the sky is falling down I know that we’ll be safe and sound... I could fill your cup... You know my river won’t evaporate, this world we still appreciate...” After a pretty intense scene, this song is the perfect background for a writing montage of Rowan and Dahlia (from the forthcoming, If I Speak True) doing things together in Ambrosia. They’re riding Ebon on Bluffs Beach, holding hands in the gardenia grove, hiding from each other in the garden at Lennox castle. It’s a “we’ve just conquered the world” kind of song, where the music lifts you up and the words just flow away!

ST:

Gone Gone Gone by Phillip Phillips (link)

Play it when you’re writing: The romantic scenes

This song is so sweetly romantic, it makes me want to those throes-of-new-love scenes. It’s got a driving beat, which keeps it from getting too sappy, but there’s something angsty about it too. Maybe it’s that last verse -- “You’re my backbone, you’re my cornerstone, you’re my crutch when my legs stop moving. You’re my head start, you’re my rugged heart, you’re the pulse that I’ve always needed.” It screams complete and total commitment to the point of obsession -- perfect for that intense first-major-love feeling we love to write about in our YA and NA books, no?

Jessica:

I Know the Truth by Pretty Lights (link)

Play it when you’re writing: Angsty, emotional and/or fight scenes

This. Song. Whew! First of all, you must play this song in a mode in which you can fully appreciate the bass, because it is amazing. Second, be prepared to drive everyone you know insane, because you will play this over and over again. But that’s a good thing. Because the music itself paints pictures in your brain. It’ll yank ideas from out of nowhere, plant them in your head so out of the blue, you’ll be like, Wow! I have a scene I never would have thought of for the companion novel of Pity Isn’t An Option, where Jonas and a new character, Logan, stand up to some... people. And it all came straight from this song. 

ST:

My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) by Fallout Boy (link)

Play it when you’re writing: The action scenes

Remember when Stephenie Meyer said she wrote Twilight to the music of Muse? And every writer ever nodded their head and said, “yep”? Because Muse is the absolute, hands down, perfect music to listen to when you’re writing your fights? (Or anything really, I just heart Muse so hard.) Well I think the new Fallout Boy song is Muse-worthy. It’s intense, fast paced, and kind of addictive. Last week I listened to it on loop re-writing an action sequence for Endre, and after an hour I still loved it. It’s that good.

Jessica:

Girl Is On My Mind by The Black Keys (link)

Play it when you’re writing: Anything.

The guitar, vocals and percussion for Girl Is On My Mind (technically an oldie, as it’s from a 2004 album), make this song perfect for writing anything. I personally use it any time Dahlia’s best friend, Ben, is with her, as the words basically state what his subconscious is saying all the time: “Try to ignore it, I try to unwind, but girl is on my mind.” Le sigh. But the rocker-ish, bluesy-ness of it is perfect for any kind of writing. Check it out. You'll see.

ST:

Demons by Imagine Dragons (link)

Play it when you’re writing: The action scenes

This is my total favorite song in the whole wide world right now. It’s my go-to song when I’m writing my tortured Asgardian Assassin, Ull, and I think it’s just perfect for any character that feels conflicted. “Your eyes they shine so bright, I want to save their light. I can’t escape this now unless you show me how.” It’s all about struggling against the darkness within, and fighting to protect the person you love. Plus it’s just a really, really awesome song -- another one can I loop for hours on end.

Jessica:

King and Lionheart by Of Monsters and Men (link)

Play it when you’re writing: Steadfast characters in difficult situations

“Howling ghosts, they reappear in mountains that are stacked with fear; but you’re a king and I’m a lionheart.” I love this song. The lyrics are the perfect reminder when problems arise that characters can stick together; stand up for each other. As the lyrics say, they “won’t run”; they’re “here to stay”. It’s about having that strength inside, seeing it in each other, and using it. For me, this song works for a few different WIPs. It’s empowering. Stand up together and face those ghosts because you’re a king and I’m a lionheart. Rawr!

And there you have it: eight songs we're enjoying at the moment! What about you? What are some of your favorite songs to write to this summer? 

About ST:

Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of the musical Cats.  Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the ELSKER series.  She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day pastries will be considered a health food.

You can follow ST Bende on Twitter @stbende, on her blog, or send an e-mail to stbende(at)gmail(dot)com.  

About Jessica:

Jessica is the author of PITY ISN'T AN OPTION. She writes YA and adult fiction and resides with her husband of sixteen years, three awesome daughters, and a plethora of pets in Central California, where fog, frost, triple-digit heat and various items of produce arrive bountifully, depending on the season. (We won't even go there about all of the cows.) She has an affinity for both coffee and owls, and loves to connect with other readers and writers whenever possible.

You can follow Jessica on Twitter @coffeelvnmom, on her blog, or send an email to jessicabrooks_coffeelvnmom(at)comcast(dot)net.